Mark was born in Wauchope, Australia in 1964 and his family moved to the United States when he was four years old. Mark received his BS degree from Colorado Christian College in 1992. He began his professional career in computer sales and later medical equipment sales. During that time he was active as a youth volunteer at Village Seven Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs where he had grown up, participated in the youth group, and met his wife Tammy. In 1993, Mark felt a call to the ministry and came to Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. While attending Covenant, Mark served as a youth intern and Tammy volunteered with the youth at the Kirk of the Hills during their three years here. Upon graduation from Covenant in 1996, Mark became the Youth Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he served for five years. The PCA then asked him to plant a church in Pasadena, California, in 2001. After five years of intensive ministry and a growing church plant, Mark was called to Lawndale Presbyterian Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he served for three years as Senior Pastor. In June 2009, Mark joined the Kirk staff as Senior Pastor. He and Tammy have three children.
A native of Alabama, Stephen Estock received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rhodes College in 1986. At that time, he was also commissioned a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. From 1987-1991, he served as an intelligence officer at Norton AFB, California. After separating from the Air Force, he entered Covenant Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity degree in 1995. He then moved to Covenant Presbyterian Church in Montgomery, Alabama where he served as Assistant Pastor (1995-1997), Associate Pastor (1997-1998), and Senior Pastor (1999-2002). He also served as an instructor for Birmingham Theological Seminary, teaching courses in Systematic Theology and Homiletics. Stephen joined the staff at the Kirk in March 2002. In 2008, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education from Capella University. In addition to his duties at the Kirk, Stephen is an Adjunct Professor in Practical Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary. He and his wife Susan have three children.
Rev. Mike Kennison earned a B.A. degree from Geneva College in 1976. In 1981 he graduated from Westminster Seminary with his Master of Divinity degree. For seven years Mike served in various positions for Ministries in Action - a mission agency to the Caribbean. In 1988 he became the Senior Pastor at Redlands Community Church in Homestead, Florida. He served that church for 11 years before moving to St. Louis in 1999 and joining the staff at the Kirk of the Hills. He oversees counseling and the Congregational Care Ministry. He also assists the church's Diaconate in coordinating their work. Mike is currently working toward a Doctor of Ministry degree at Covenant Theological Seminary. He and his wife Kelly along with their two children have actively participated in the Kirk's Missions Ministry, most recently having led a Kirk team to the Philippines.
Michael Hall earned a B.A. degree in German from the University of Mississippi in 1995. During college Michael served on the summer staff for two years at the Alpine Camp for Boys. In 1997 after volunteering for six months, Michael joined the Kirk Youth Ministry staff as a junior high intern. His service at the Kirk ended in 1999 when he graduated from Covenant Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. In January 2000, Michael joined the staff at Clemson Presbyterian Church in South Carolina as the Pastor of Youth and Families. He served there until June 2005 when he returned to the Kirk to take the position of Minister of Youth and Families. He and his wife Kirby have three children.
Ben Porter grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, attending Trinity Presbyterian Church. He earned a B.S. degree in Speech Communications at James Madison University (JMU) in 2001. He then spent a year working in the JMU dining hall and as an auto mechanic while waiting for his bride-to-be Anna to graduate from college. This is humorous because Ben is completely helpless when it comes to both cooking and anything mechanical, though not for lack of trying. After marrying Anna in June 2002, the Porters moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where Ben served as a Youth Director at Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church for two years. They then moved to St. Louis to attend Covenant Theological Seminary. Ben worked as an intern through the Kirk’s Reformed Campus Fellowship (RCF) ministry all four years of their seminary career. He graduated in May 2008 and began serving as the Assistant Pastor of Community Engagement in June. As for children, Ella joined the family in February 2007 and Drew came along in August 2008. They are wildly adorable and the main reason Ben was able to secure a position on staff at the Kirk. Also, despite the Red Sox shirt and his living in St. Louis, Ben is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. Those are the worst kind. Finally, Ben loves the PCA and wants to see it thrive for many generations to come.
Phil VanValkenburg earned a B.S. degree in Economics from Michigan State University in 1972. In 1979 he graduated from the University of Colorado with a Master of Business Administration degree. For five years, Phil served in administrative management at the headquarters of Campus Crusade for Christ. Additionally, he has 25 years business leadership experience in various management and consulting positions at Monsanto, Ernst & Young, Oracle, and E-Markets. Phil has been an officer, teacher and leader in Presbyterian churches for many years and has been a ruling elder at the Kirk of the Hills since 1994. In May 2004 Phil joined the Kirk staff as Executive Administrator. He is responsible for overall strategic alignment and operation of the church including planning, communications, finances, facility, technology, human resources, contracts, and administrative and support staff. Phil and his wife Becky have two adult children and two grandchildren.
Graham Behnke earned a B.A. in Music from Florida State University. While in college she was an active member of RUF and started a children’s choir at Wildwood PCA where she was a member. In the summers she was the Music Director for Discovery Camp Orlando, named best children’s camp in Orlando by OrlandoMagazine. Upon graduation, she moved to St. Louis and began an internship in Children’s Ministry under Rev. Barksdale Pullen at the Kirk of the Hills. She also served as Artistic Director for Covenant Children’s Chorale, an audition-only touring choir for children in St. Louis. Her ministry at the Kirk of the Hills earned her the Christian Education Award when she graduated from Covenant Seminary with an M.DIV in 2003. After teaching music at Twin Oaks Christian School for one year, she joined the church-planting team of Mission to the World in Bangkok, Thailand. There, she helped to start Joy Kids, a Bible club which continues to effectively reach Buddhist children for Christ and is now run by Thai nationals. Graham joined us as our Director of Children’s Ministry in June 2006. She and her husband Barry have one son.
Jean Bronson has been on staff at the Kirk since 2001, currently serving in Assimilation and as Women's Ministry Coordinator.
Prior to her service at the Kirk, Jean was on staff at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas serving as the Director of Preschool Ministries. In this capacity she produced curriculum having written hundreds of children's lessons under the name "Big God for Little Hearts" (copyright). At Park Cities, Jean also served in community outreach where she developed and implemented their first ESL (English as a Second Language) program reaching the neighboring Hispanic and Asian communities. In addition to her responsibilities as Women's Coordinator, she recently has taken on the role of Assimilation. Jean has been active in Bible Study Fellowship for 20 years serving in adult and children's leadership. She and her husband Bill have three adult children and two grandchildren.
Mrs. Jean Bronson Assimilation and Women's Ministry Coordinator
2001 Contact Jean Bronson
Sue Pitzer, Head of School of the Kirk of the Hills Christian Day School, earned a BA degree in Elementary Education from Belhaven College in Jackson Mississippi in 1968 and a Master of Education degree in Administration from Covenant College in 1996. She had over 15 years experience in the classroom when she joined the staff of the Kirk as Head of Kirk Day School in 1993. Sue is trainer for the Young Peacemaker program and also currently serves on the National Accreditation Commission for Christian Schools International. She and her husband, Ruling Elder Lowell Pitzer, have taught third grade Sunday School on the Catechism for Young Children at the Kirk since 1999. Together they have four children, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
